South Korean households to spend more.(Survey)(Brief
article)
Results from the Bank of Korea (BOK), South Korea's central
bank, consumer confidence survey were released on June 25, 2007 showing
that the country's consumers were feeling more optimistic than . . .
Indonesian consumers less confident.
Indonesia's Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) declined 0.2
percent in June 2007 after gaining 1.3 percent in May 2007, according to
the Jakarta based Danareksa Research Institute (DRI), an . . .
Digital Music.
Interestingly, a major survey on digital music trends in the Asia
Pacific region credits enhanced communication with the consumer as a
central factor in shaping the market.
Two other factors were . . .
New Zealand retail sales in a striking advance.
Retail sales in New Zealand soared 3.8 percent in the quarter
ending in March 2007. Sales were us$405-million. The increase is the
fastest on record. New Zealand began tracking retail sales in . . .
Australia's economy is at full capacity.
Australian unemployment is at a 32 year low. In February 2007, the
index of leading economic indicators had an annualized growth rate of
5.7 percent. The Chief Economist of the Westpac-Melbourne . . .
Consumers revive South Korea's economy.
Key observers are looking to consumer spending to accelerate South
Korea's economic rebound. Moreover, notwithstanding that households
will spend more during the second half of 2007, there are no . . .
India's middle class growing robustly.
India's middle class-already larger than the population of the
United States (US)-continues to grow and to attract consumer goods
manufacturers and marketers alike. A recent report by the . . .
Malaysian consumers more confident.
Malaysia's Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI) "surges to
124.1 points," which is the highest since the third quarter 2000.
The information was released to the press on April 16, 2007 by the
Malaysian . . .
Bangladesh update.(politics)(Brief article)
When Market: Asia Pacific reported last month (May 2007, 16:5) on
developments in Bangladesh, it appeared as though the country's
political chaos might be at an end. The two matriarchs of the . . .
Japanese retail tech advances.
Retail technology is taking another step forward in Japan. Tests of
various applications for just over three-quarter inch square Integrated
Circuit (IC) chips were reported in a March 27, 2007 . . .
Rice.
Rice production in the Asia Pacific Region is likely to satisfy
demand, but prices will continue to rise. According to the United
Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) 2006 . . .
Politics still depresses Thai consumer confidence.
On May 1, 2007, Thailand's Bureau of Trade and Economic
Indices released the country's official consumer confidence index
for April 2007 showing a slight increase, as illustrated in the . . .
Pakistan growth strong but problematic.
Two different views of Pakistan's economy recently appeared in
reaction to the March 21, 2007 release of the Asian Development
Bank's (ADB) "Asian Development Outlook 2007." The ADB
report includes . . .
Taiwan prosperity safe despite slowdown.
Taiwan offers two interesting signals from its transportation
sector. One comes from an April 9, 2007 report from the China Economic
News Service (CENS), which says that sales of new cars in Taiwan . . .
Bangladesh political chaos may end.
Political chaos in Bangladesh-widely cited for weakening the
country's economy-may soon be at an end. On April 17, 2007, Agence
France-Presse reported that the country's most recent prime
minister . . .
Hong Kong stirs consumer spending.(Brief article)
Hong Kong, like many of the world's market economies, is
worried about the slowdown of the economy of the United States (US). In
its monthly report on the Hong Kong economy, the Economic . . .
India's inflation battle continues.
Because of what the Reserve Bank of India (RBA) calls,
"effervescent demand," the RBA may take steps to raise
interest rates further to curb inflationary pressures.
In a story that was posted on . . .
Vietnam grows but problems persist.(Brief article)
A story in the International Herald Tribune (Neuilly) on April 5,
2007, acknowledges that Vietnam is growing impressively. It reports that
the country is "awash" in foreign capital and implies that . . .
Video programming.
A Lecturer in Media and Communication studies at the Queensland
University of Technology (Brisbane) told the national newspaper The
Australian (Surry Hills) on March 19, 2007 that there is talk . . .
Chinese consumer spending grows strongly.
The last time Market: Asia Pacific looked at retail sales in China
in detail (January 2006, 15:1), the analysis showed that the
year-on-year rate of growth was steady. The perspective is different . . .
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